Photograph-cutter.



m. 659,983. P'afentd Oct. l6, I900.

E. B. NICHOLSON.

PHOTOGRAPH CUTTER.

m ucazidn filed Mar. 2', 1900.

(No Model.)

Unrrnn Sines rrlon.

EDWARD I NICHOLSON, OF OSHKOSI'I, W'ISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO H. A. I-IYATT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PHOTOGRAPH-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 659,983, dated. October 16, 1900.

Application filed Mil-T011 2, 1900- Serial No. 7,118. (No model.)

To (til whom, it may concern.-

Be it k nown that I, EDWARD B. NICHOLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh,in the county of Winnebago and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Photograph Gages and Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for cutting both the mask that is used in printing the photograph and the photograph after it is printed.

In dark-colored mountings it is desirable to have a narrow white interspaee between the photograph and the mounting.

The objects of my invention are, first, to make a white border around the printed photograph which will show as an inter-space between the photograph and mat when mounted; second, to simplify and cheapen the cost of so doing, and, third, to insure absolute uniformity in the width of the border.

I am aware that photograph-cutters have heretofore been constructed and used consisting of a roller-cutter which was adapted to be moved around the edge of a guide-pattern to out the photograph in an oval or circular form. Two guide-patterns could be used,one slightly smaller than the other, to cut the mask, so that in laying it between the negative and printingpaper in printing it would preserve a white margin which would not be exposed to the suns action. In the use of two guidepatterns, however, uniformity in width of the white border or margin could not be obtained, as the edges of the patterns soon wear away so as to destroy their conformity to each other, and the patterns were expensive to manufacture. In my invention I provide a means of cuttingboth the mask and the photograph by the same guide-pattern.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View, and Fig. 2 a side View, of the cutter. Fig. 3 represents a circular guidepattern. Fig. l shows the mask and bedplate, and Fig. 5 a photograph mounted.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in each vlew.

A represents the handle, B the swivel-joint, and O the cutting-wheel, pivoted to the ears D D.

0 represents the cutting edge of the wheel 0, and c the opposite side.

E is a bed-plate, of glass or analogous material.

F is a circular pattern, H the photograph, and I the mount.

It will be observed that the cutting edge 0 is Without the center of the periphery of the wheel 0.

In operating my invention the cuttingwheel is passed around the edge of the pattern F, the side of the wheel 0 in its revolution bearing against the edge of the pattern. The wheel is at the same time pressed downward upon the bed-plate E, cutting the interposed mask or sensitized paper as it is passed along. \Vhen cutting the mask, the side c of the wheel 0 is permitted to bear against the edge of the pattern, thus bringing the cutting edge a a slight distance away from the pattern edge. Themask is thereby made slightly smaller than the pattern. Then in cutting the photograph after printing the cutting-wheel is reversed, the swivel B permitting of such rotation, and the cutting-edge c is permitted to bear against the pattern edge in its rotation. The photograph is thereby made slightly larger than the mask. The mask is first made, then placed between the negative and printing-paper within the print ing-frame, and the margin around the photograph, being covered by the mask, remains unprinted and ofa white color. After printing the photograph is removed, trimmed by means of the cutting-wheel, as hereinbefore described, pasted to the dark mount I, and the white margin J has the appearance of an interspace between the photograph and the mounting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

, 1. A photograph-cutter comprising a swiveled shank having bifurcated jaws at its lower end, a cutting-wheel mounted between the said jaws and having its cutting edge arranged to one side of the center, whereby the cutter will more easily follow the edge of a pattern, a draw-handle carrying the swiveled shank, said handle extending to one side thereof, whereby the cutter can be readily drawn along the guiding edge of :a pattern substantially as described.

2. A cutter for cutting irregular figures 0r openings, com prising a vertical shank having an enlarged lower end bifurcated at the bottom, a rotary cutter pivotal'lymoun'ted in the bifurcated portion and having its cutting-edge arranged to one side of the center, a reduced portion upon the shank, a handle having.pro-, jecting lugs for engaging the said reduced shank, means for loosely holding the shank in place, the said handle extending to one side of the shank, whereby su fficient pressure can beb-rought to bear upon the cutter, the mounting of the cutterbeing such that it will readily follow the pattern in cutting figures or apertures.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two'subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD B. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses: I

A. R. WATERHOUSE, HERBERT WEITZEL. 

